Atop Mount Silver
by YouDont NeedToKnow69
Summary: For reasons known by only himself, Red stands upon Mount Silver's desolate summit alone. No longer a One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

One man stood upon the summit of Mount Silver.

Day in and day out, his thin form would stand in silent protest against the bone-chilling wind that raged relentlessly. His dull red eyes would constantly gaze out into the blank blue sky, waiting, but not for anything in particular.

The pale-skinned teenager was a myth to many. The stories always told of the exploits of a boy with a blood red cap who became the champion of the Pokemon League, single-handedly defeated an evil crime organization, and caught every single Pokemon in Kanto.

All accomplished at the tender age of ten.

The stories just stop there with his supposed disappearance. Very few have actually witnessed what has been dubbed as the 'Phantom of Mount Silver' before having their whole team knocked out by pokemon trained by the relentless cold.

Even fewer have made it back down alive to tell the tale.

Now, he stood as a symbol of the dreams of young, aspiring trainers. The fabled holy grail hidden in a forgotten temple waiting to be found. The summit atop the harsh mountain only the strongest and the most determined can scale.

But Red knew they shouldn't want his life. No one should. No one should want a life where all you do is pursue power, walk down a forever lengthening road just to partially quench an infinite thirst. No one should want a life where the only human friend you have is the dark shadow against the clean, white snow.

No one should want a life where all you are is an empty, heartbroken shell that spends its days rotting under cold sunlight atop a winter wasteland.

Red closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a cool blast hit his pale face as he recounted the events that led to his self-imposed exile.

* * *

**XxFlashbackxX**

**Pikachu purred in content as its trainer ran a warm, soft hand down its small back, its red cheeks sparking lightly in comfort. But Red wasn't paying attention to the tiny yellow mouse.**

**His crimson eyes were fixed upon the golden trophy standing atop his desk. The lemon yellow sunlight streaking through the windows bounced of the trophy's spotless surface, illuminating the room with its lustre. The culmination of his efforts. The fruits of his and his Pokemon's training. The end of the long, winding road he walked on for the past year.**

**And what made it even better was that he beat Blue for it. Blue, his rival for much more than just pokemon battling. They were rivals for pretty much everything.**

**Even rivals over the same girl.**

**"Red!" A familiar girlish voice said from downstairs, accompanied by light footsteps.**

**Speak of the devil.**

**Red tore his gaze away from his prize, his gaze falling on the girl that called his name a few moments ago. He allowed himself to smile. The girl, Leaf, wore her usual outfit; blue singlet, red miniskirt, complete with a clean white wide-brimmed hat that covered the top part of her long, shiny brown hair.**

**Leaf's smile turned into a frown as she saw the clothes, books, and various other nitbits strewn all over the brown hardwood floor. "Are you ever gonna clean up your room?" She asked rhetorically.**

**Red simply shrugged in response. Pikachu had noticed the visitor and gave her a cute "Pika pikachu" along with a small wave as a greeting.**

**Leaf smiled brightly at Pika "Well hello to you too!". She gave the small pokemon a pat on the head before joining Red on the floor.**

**"Congratulations champ!" She said energetically.**

**Red rubbed the black hair at the back of his head. A small pink blush formed in his otherwise pale cheeks.**

**Leaf slapped his arm playfully "Awwww, no need to be modest. Winning the League isn't a small feat you know."**

**An akward silence fell upon the two, Leaf running out of things to say to the silent boy. Pika seemed to have left the room, following the attractive scent of food leading downstairs.**

**"Hey Red?" Leaf blurted out after some time.**

**Red gave a small nod in response.**

**"Do you think Blue likes me?". Leaf's cheeks were tinted pink.**

**Red froze at the question. It seemed at that very moment, the whole world froze around him. Then like glass, it simply breaks into unfixable shards leaving red with a cold, empty feeling inside. He wanted to cry right then, but couldn't do so without arousing suspiscion from his longtime friend.**

**"Red?" Leaf called quietly.**

**This seemed to break the young boy out of his trance. He gave her an encouraging smile, complete with a warm hand on her shoulder. He just hoped to Arceus she couldn't see behind his smile.**

**Leaf smiled at him, then wrapped her pale, thin arms around his neck. "Thanks Red! I'll go tell him right now!". With that, she got up and skipped down the stairs and out of his house.**

**It was quiet for a few minutes save for the cheerful chirps of the wild pidgey outside. Then, the reality of the situation finally hits Red straight in the gut like a fist coming from a hitmonchan.**

**Finally, he let a single tear, a single tiny droplet, fall from his eye onto the cold wood floor.**

**Yet, something sparked within his broken form.**

* * *

**Dragonite shook in obvious fatigue before falling over in defeat. "Thank you, Dragonite." Lance said before pressing a button in the pokeball, a red beam of light shooting out, absorbing the large, yellow winged reptile.**

**Even as the sound of applause resonated around him, even as his Charizard stood, bruised but strong, as his final Pokemon, Red wasn't satisfied.**

**Lance walked up to him, black cape waving as he did. "Good battle, Red." He stuck out his strong hand which Red took.**

**It was then Red decided that the battle was too close for comfort, for two reasons. The first was his concern for his Pokemon. If only they were stronger they, his allies, his friends, his brothers, wouldn't have been hurt as much.**

**The second was reason was more selfish. Much, much more selfish.**

**He wanted to defeat his opponents, but not just defeat them. He wanted to crush them in the palm of his hands, relentlessly rip them into tiny microscopic shreds, maul them mercilessly into a bloody, broken pulp.**

**Just like what he had done with Team Rocket a year ago.**

**He didn't know where the roots of this desire lay, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he wanted it. The prospect just seemed to seduce him like no other.**

**And as his crimson eyes watched Lance retreat into the dark passage in the other side of the stadium, he decided to heed its tempting call.**

**And he knew the perfect place to gain the power he craved. He knew he'd have to give up the life he led now, virtually everything, to walk down his chosen path.**

**But as he recalled Leaf's confession, he was convinced he wouldn't have much to give up anyways.**

**XxFlashback EndxX**

* * *

And now, he knew he was happy where he was. But that didn't mean he was content. Proud of his Pokemon, but not disappointed.

The bright sky darkened. Red looked up, finding wispy black clouds moving atop, blocking out the little sunlight that had struggled towards the soft, snowy ground. The winds sped up, howling painfully as it passed. But Red made no move to retreat into the dark, damp caverns of Mount Silver.

After all, how could you feel cold when you are made of it?

Squish. Squish

Footsteps sounded behind Red. It was quiet due to the wind's pained screams, but the teenager heard it nonetheless.

He knew what the person was here for. A challenger for his title, a skeptic of his existence.

But to Red, they were all the same. All he saw his challengers as were oppurtunities to get stronger, stepping stones in his neverending pursuit of power.

He heard the footsteps stop a few paces behind him. The wind's howls transformed into screeches pleading for relief from its apparent pain.

"Red?" the person called. Red froze at the girlish voice that uttered his name. He turned around, confirming his suspiscions.

There she was, bundled up in a puffy light blue jacket and light blue jeans. Her long brown hair dancing with the wind, white wide-brimmed hat holding the few calm strands of hair in place. She gazed at Red with soft green eyes.

Leaf.

Red's eyes widened slightly before hardening. Here she was, a demon from his past. Yet, she looked the furthest from what anyone would call a demon. To Red, even after all these years, she looked like an angel.

But for Red, this was an opportunity to banish past demons, free to walk down his neverending power-hungry road. All he had to do was beat her, right here right now, in an all-or-nothing Pokemon battle.

"Red, I f-f-finally f-found you." Leaf said, her voice wavering in the midst of the relentless cold. Her eyes hardened as she steeled her resolve "I'm here to bring you home."

But Red did not listen. Instead, he reached into the holster of his belt.

When he found a particular pokeball, he threw it in between him and Leaf with all his might.

* * *

**(A/N): This is my first short story on the character of Red. To me, Red (game) is a blank state and it is up to the author to determine his character.**

**So anyways, try to find something I could improve on, even if you have to be nitpicky. I don't care. If you have constructive criticism, feel free to tell. I'm writing as practice for my English class.**

**So, I'm going to stamp this as complete unless anyone wants me to continue.**

**Ciao**

**Update: Just cleaned up a few errors**


	2. Chapter 2

**(AN): Good news everyone! Backed by popular demand, this story will be multi-chaptered. Before I forget, thanks for the reviews, very much appreciated. I meant to post a few days ago, but everytime I read a draft, I felt it was either missing something or was confusing (no I was not looking for reviews).**

**IronicPuppies: Yeah, reading through it again, I kinda felt the whole thing was rushed.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

The white beam escaping the red and white sphere morphed into the shape of a small mouse with sharp pointed ears and a zigzag tail. The white faded away, revealing the creature's predominantly yellow colour, crimson circles on its cheeks, and a bit of black on its tail.

"Pika!" it said, gritting its shiny white teeth as it was pelted by the raging blizzard.

Leaf wasn't surprised when instead of listening to her, Red challenged her to a battle. He was a battler. And as a battler herself, she understood. Pokemon battles were the way trainers communicated with each other. They weren't just a sport with winners and losers.

When trainers pit their Pokemon against each other, they unknowingly put themselves out on the battlefield as well. They get to know each other, their battle style speaking louder than words about their personality, their ideals, and their beliefs.

"Red!" she shouted over the screaming gale, her face growing cold as snow crashed onto her skin. "If this is the only way I can get to you, then so be it!".

She reached into the pocket of her puffy jacket and like her opponent, pulled out a Pokeball. "Go Clefable!" she said.

Pikachu looked on as a bright pink Pokemon twice its size appeard in front of it. Dangerous spikes sprouted from its back. Its sharp ears stood in sharp attention. Yet, despite its appearance, its small eyes held a compassionate glint to them.

"Clefable!" it greeted Pikachu with a wave from its short arms. Like Pikachu was an old friend. Pikachu seemed to let its guard down for just a moment, like it recognized its opponent as a friend once upon a time. Its ebony eyes froze solid at the fairy-type once it remembered its purpose.

Pikachu wasn't the only one who seemed to recognize it.

After all, the Pokemon was once as much Red's as it was Leaf's.

A wave of suppressed memories washed over him like a bucket of lukewarm water. He remembered the first time they met eye-to-eye. The way it struggled to shake broken egg shells off its tiny pink arms. The way it smiled a small smile, first at Leaf then at him, showing its shiny white teeth. The way it happily squeaked "Clefairy!" when it laid its candy blue eyes at him.

But the memories that shone the brightest were the way he smiled whenever he did meet the pink Pokemon. Memories of so much as a wave, Clefairy or Clefable, melting his heart like chocolate. Memories of...

Red shook his head, a cloud of snow escaping his dark hair.

Memories were just that, he told himself. Things change with time. He was much stronger now. Much more ruthless, having developed a killer instinct in his time on the mountain.

Yes. Things have definitely changed.

And he was gonna show Leaf just how much.

Even if he had to drown the ghost of his old self threatening to take over.

* * *

Not that he could to start with, Red didn't even have to speak. Pikachu understood immediately what he wanted.

The yellow Pokemon charged at its opponent, its tail glowing with metallic lustre. It leapt at Clefable, preparing to strike with its steeled tail.

"Clefable, use Cosmic Power!" Leaf said. Clefable uttered an affirmation as it changed its colour. For a while, the Pokemon was pitch-black covered with twinkling dots of all kinds of colours, so many colours that maybe some of them had yet to be discovered or named.

With its defensive coating, Clefable took Pikachu's brutal attack without so much as flinching. As Pikachu's tail bounces of Clefable, its small body lands on the soft, cold ground.

"Quick Clefable! Use Toxic!" Leaf said as Pikachu struggled to recover. Clefable spat hot purple goo at Pikachu. The effect was immediate as the yellow Pokemon began to breathe erratically. Pikachu could feel its muscles twisting and turning in pain, begging, screaming for it just to give up.

For a moment, Red felt his heart clench as he saw one of his brothers struggle with the debiliating toxin. For a moment, he entertained the thought of returning Pikachu, pull it out of the numbing cold into the warm confines of the Pokeball where it could deal with the poison a little better.

For a moment, Red considered throwing in the towel, reluctant to see any more of his friends suffer the same sickly fate.

But the desire for victory quickly took over, raw lust for power overcoming gentle compassion for a friend.

So he simply gritted his teeth in frustration, silently ordering Pikachu not to give up.

Pikachu reacted to his trainer's emotions. It got up, more determined than before to tear its opponent apart. Its tail glowed metallic again, preparing for another strike.

"Clefable! Just keep defending yourself!" Leaf knew she wasn't going to win this way. She knew Red's Pokemon were probably strong enough to break through any kind of defense by using an unrelenting barrage of powerful attacks.

But the point of the battle for her wasn't to win. Maybe for Red it was, but not for her.

The battle was for so she could communicate to Red in the only way he would understand. Show him that despite what he may think, they were still friends.

Red was a good friend for most of her life. She wasn't about to give up on him, even if Red has already.

Pikachu struck Clefable's sturdy form with a hard Iron Tail. Once again, it seemed to do nothing. The only difference was that this time, Pikachu didn't land face-first in the snow.

This time, it maneuvered in the air with lethal, unmatched grace, striking Clefable again and again and again, the howling wind under the dark sky spurring Pikachu on. It forced itself to ignore the poison spreading deftly through its small body, forced itself to feel nothing but raw determination.

Eventually, Clefable's seemingly impenetrable armor broke, revealing its true pink colour. It dropped down onto one shaky knee, eyes closed, breathing heavy.

But it refused to give up. Ignoring fatigue, it struggled back onto its feet, taking up a defensive stance. Its eyes held a defiant glint, yet the way its bruises glowed a sick blue told the story of a Pokemon that would fall in one or two hits.

And for the first time, Red felt himself hesitate. He wanted to order the killing blow, but he felt something hold him back.

The memories

When he looked Clefable, all he saw was one of his own Pokemon in its place. He saw his Snorlax, bloody broken and bruised, standing defiantly against Blue's Rhydon. Saw his Nidoking take an Earthquake attack despite its severe injuries. Saw his Charizard, its normally large flame on its tail faint, carry on fight to a victorious end against Lance's Dragonite.

But as his desire for victory took over, all he saw was an opponent, a small obstacle in his road towards victory.

Focusing all of its power into one attack, Pikachu released large yellow sparks from its small body, aiming it at the pink Pokemon.

Direct hit. Clefable fell face-down on the cold ground, sparks dancing around its body. Pikachu stood watching, panting, as it tried to resist giving in to the poison.

But it was futile.

"Chaaaa.." Pikachu said hoarsely as it followed Clefable's lead, falling to the ground with a soft 'plop'. A red beam hit Pikachu, returning it to its pokeball.

As Red gazed at Pikachu's pokeball with watery eyes, he felt no disappointment. He felt something he hadn't felt since his near loss to Lance. He felt it everytime he battled before that fateful battle against Lance, but never experienced again as his Pokemon were so strong, they rarely if ever got hurt as seriously as Pikachu was in that battle.

Empathy. He could feel the poison as if he was the one afflicted with it. Feel it running through his veins, leaving burning pain in its wake.

And because of it, he felt like he needed to apologize to Pikachu for pushing it, for using it to fulfill his dark thirst for victory...

No!, Red thought, clenching his eyes shut, turning his face away from the pokeball. Emotions were a sign of weakness. I abandoned them long ago to get to where I am today.

But inside, he could feel his frozen blood defrost, warm to the point he could feel again, the numbness fading away.

And it made him want to puke.

* * *

Leaf saw it.

The way Pikachu fought, brutally mauling Clefable, its eyes blank and emotionless said it all.

She saw the cold, numbing pain Red was harbouring. She saw Red's insatiable desire to destroy his opponents decisively and convincingly. She saw Red's insatiable craving fo power, which she assumed was the reason he climbed this godforsaken mountain.

But when she saw Red hesitate, saw him look teary eyed at Pikachu's pokeball, she saw a little bit of the Red she once knew.

The only problem was that it was quickly replaced the new Red, the one that saw all but his Pokemon as his enemies. Quickly putting up a shell, refusing to let anyone near him.

The weather had lightened up considerably. The sky above was still dark, but the winds had slowed into a cool, gentle breeze. The wind's pain seemed to have been relieved, its howls degrading into soft whispers. The blizzard lightened into white snowflakes free-falling slowly from the sky.

Leaf reached into her pocket, pulling out the pokeball that housed her second Pokemon.

"Go! Nidoqueen!"

* * *

**(AN): And so ends the second chapter. I must say, it was quite difficult turning the oneshot into a half-decent mini-novel. I was stuck on thinking of a theme I would base the story on. When I finally thought of one, I was being extremely fussy on how I wanted the story to be written.**

**And looking at the finished product, I can't tell whether it is worse or better than the oneshot this story was originally. And because it is now multi-chaptered, I'm probably gonna have to change the summary. Not the title, just the summary. The title's fine.**

**Anyways, today I stumbled upon what is perceived to be the worst fanfiction ever written. Yeah, there's a lot of shit in , but this story managed to be so shitty, it managed to stand out. If you've even heard about it, you know what it is already.**

**Ladies and Gentlemen, 'My Immortal' by XXXbloodyrists666XXX.**

**It was taken down, so if you want to read it, you'll need to go to Wattpad. Not that you'd want to.**

**So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See anything weak in the story, don't hesitate to tell.**

**Laters.**


	3. Chapter 3

**(AN): Only three chapters left (including this one). Yeah, it's quite short, but I feel like there is no need for my story to be any longer. I've already got a plan in my head on how the story will go down.**

**Time to answer to some reviews**

**To PichutheMadHatter: This story will not take sides in terms of shipping. A pairing may be hinted, but not shown explicitly****. I do support a few, but it will not show in this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

Red looked on as a blue, bipedal dinosaur-like Pokemon appeared in front of him. A row of cyan spikes made its way done the Pokemon's back all the way to the tip of its tail.

"Nido!" the female Pokemon roared as its dirt brown eyes saw Red. She pounded her chest rock hard chest, her bulky tail wagging in the snow.

She was expecting a heated battle. She remembered how she always got one battling against Red.

Red reached into his holster, knowing which Pokemon to pick. When his gloved hand comes across the right pokeball, he throws it towards the snowy floor.

Out of the pokeball came a male, predominantly purple Pokemon about Nidoqueen's height. Spikes much larger than the ones on Nidoqueen sprouted from his back like weed around healthy grass.

As Red's Nidoking looked at his opponent, his dark eyes narrowed viciously. He snarled sadistically at Nidoqueen, claws twitching in anticipation.

Silence.

A fresh breeze passed.

Nidoqueen let out a slight shiver as the cold raced down her spine. Nidoking did not faze. He just stood there, legs bent, ready to pounce at any moment.

Red waited impatiently for Leaf to make the first move. When she wouldn't, he pointed sharply at Nidoqueen, ordering Nidoking to attack.

Nidoking roared in compliance, charging at its opponent with one of its claws curled tightly into a glowing fist leaking, dripping with power waiting to be unleashed

"Nidoqueen! Use counter!" Leaf said.

Nidoqueen glowed an eerie red,her large legs planting themselves firmly onto the soft ground, arms spreading wide in anticipation of Nidoking's attack.

With his face shadowed by his hat, Red smiled twistedly when he heard Leaf call her move. Nidoking, instead of slamming his large fist into the face of its opponent, slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave across the floor towards Nidoqueen.

The Earth Power attack knocked Nidoqueen off her feet, sending her flying towards a nearby rock formation. A pile of snow sitting on the top of the rock formation dropped on her, burning the ground-type's skin.

"Nidoqueen!" Leaf called, worried for her safety.

The blue Pokemon quickly got back to her feet, ignoring the cold snow burning her skin. She let out a steady, low growl, her mouth open showing her sharp teeth pressed painfully against each other.

Red smirked at the Pokemon's refusal to give up. He had seen it before. It was evident to him ever since she was but a Nidoran. Her unwavering fighting spirit that refused to break. Her willingness to fight opponents much bigger and stronger than herself. Even if more times than not her determination backfired badly, Red always considered it admirable.

She definitely made a good sparring partner in the distant past. Especially to his Nidoking's younger self. They were rivals, yet great friends.

In that regard, they reflected their trainers.

Red frowned at the thought.

No, what they used to be.

Nidoking charged towards Nidoqueen, his fist glowing in the same light it was glowing in earlier.

Leaf grinded her teeth. She had no choice at this point. She would have to fight Red face-up. No tricks. No techniques. Meet him in a titanic clash of their wills. Of their power.

Of their beliefs.

"Nidoqueen! Meet Nidoking with Mega Punch!"

Nidoqueen followed her trainer's command, mimicing her opponent. She charged towards Nidoking, fist glowing.

The two Pokemon's fists collided, generating a dome-shaped shockwave accompanied by the defeaning sound of an explosion. Their fists were virtually glued together, locked in a fierce power struggle. Neither Pokemon backed down as beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Eventually, they broke the fist lock. Nidoking immediately took to the offensive, delivering a swift punch to Nidoqueen's shoulder. In retaliation, quickly leaned forward and sunk her sharp teeth into Nidoking's neck. Nidoking roared out in pain before grabbing Nidoqueen by her neck, lifting her up, then roughly driving her helpless form into the snow.

When she didn't get up for some time, Nidoking roared proudly into the dark sky.

But despite Nidoqueen's apparent defeat, Leaf was unfazed. She made no move to return Nidoqueen to her pokeball. Her green eyes looked determinedly at the cloud of snow around the area where Nidoqueen crashed into the ground.

Then, she saw movement. She smiled confidently.

"This battle isn't over Red!" Leaf called out.

* * *

Red looked wide-eyed as he watched Nidoqueen rise from the ground. The blue dinosaur-like Pokemon looked cold, bruised, and exhausted, but still standing defiantly against her male counterpart.

Nidoking snarled, then crashed his feet into the ground. The floor under Nidoqueen broke, resulting in her falling through. The ground then closed with her in between its deadly vices, crushing her midsection as she wailed in pain.

But slowly, she pulled herself out of the hole, using whatever strength she had left to power through the cold and back onto her weak, wobbly legs. She shook for a little while, looking like she was going to collapse, but before landing on the ground, she stuck an arm out, barely, desperately holding herself up.

"Red!" Leaf called, her green eyes burning.

The male teenager turned his head towards the sound of her voice, face blank, expressionless.

"Our friendship, our bond, cannot be broken so easily." Leaf closed her eyes, feeling a gentle wind caress her face. She placed her right hand over her heart "You might think it is broken and has been for three years. You might think you severed it a long time ago, but..." she opened her eyes, gazing softly at Red.

"...you're wrong."

Red stared dumbfounded at Leaf's bold statement. How could she think like this? Hasn't he clearly shown what they used to have doesn't exist anymore?

"True bonds of friendship can never be truly torn!" Leaf continued, her voice strong the whole way. "Strained and damaged maybe, but never completely broken.".

"Look," her voice softened, "I don't know what made you think you could just ignore our bond, like the first ten years of our life never existed. I don't know why you climbed Mount Silver without telling your mother, Blue, or me."

A few tears leaked from her eyes, free falling towards the snowy ground. But before they reached their destination, they froze into tiny crystal droplets.

"I don't know what made you hate me so, so much." she said, her voice practically a whisper in the wind. "But..." her voice regained its strength, "Whatever the reason may be, I'm sure our bond was able to survive.".

"Through this battle, I, no, we want to show you this. The strength of our bond. Stronger than Blue, stronger than me, stronger than even you." she proclaimed. Leaf's Nidoqueen roared weakly in agreement with its trainer.

"You cannot break it! And I think you already know that deep down inside." Leaf finished as she remembered his recognition of her Clefable.

Red stood there, completely frozen by her words. Was it true? Could their bond really be this strong?

No! She's lying! It was already broken! He could swear it was.

And if it wasn't clear to her yet, he would be more than glad to show her with an example; how he would not hesitate to hurt her Pokemon, his friends once upon a time.

Nidoking charged at Nidoqueen, knocking her down with a hard Mega Punch to her mid-section. When she tried to get back up, Nidoking simply gave her a bone-shattering kick, knocking her back down.

But Nidoqueen kept getting back up. She didn't fight, didn't protest as Nidoking delivered another fatal blow that by all means should have knocked her out.

Red gritted his teeth as he observed Nidoking's growing fatigue. He could see his uneven breath form shaky white clouds as it met the cold.

Why?! Red thought. What compelled her to keep fighting? What encouraged her to struggle against the inevitable?

That was when he lost control of his emotions, a small campfire sparking a destructive forest fire. Nidoking sensed this. Summoning all his strength, he gave Nidoqueen one last Mega Punch, sending her flying towards the same rock formation she crashed in a while ago. Before she had the opportunity to get back up, Nidoking fired an Ice Beam at her bruised form, encasing her in a glittering block of ice.

Exhausted, Nidoking managed a victorious roar before almost collapsing, holding himself up by planting his hand on the ground.

He shivered vehemently, his adrenaline fading away, nearly succumbing to the cold.

* * *

Red wasn't paying attention as his Pokemon convincingly beat his opponent.

He was staring into the dark sky around him, as if something had caught his eye. And something did. To any other person, nothing would be there. But to the teenager, something had gained, commanded his attention even more than the battle did.

It was like a movie, what he saw. A movie about his life playing against the big dark screen.

But what was most alarming was that in all of the scenes, Leaf was there. He saw all his repressed memories of her and their friendship come roaring out of the closet. He watched their Pokemon League battle, Leaf hugging him, congratulating him after her defeat. He watched them walk out of Pallet town together, taking the first steps of what would be a long journey.

But what was most vivid was the day they met, the first time of many Leaf would defend his disability. Against Blue of all was the day their bond was formed.

They were memories he used to treasure.

Maybe still treasured today...

No!

Red buried his face in his hands, crushing his face by curling his fingers as if he could rip the memories right out of his head.

His bonds, his memories, his ties with Leaf should have been destroyed a long time ago! He burned them in his pursuit for power! He was sure of it!

How is it that even if he beat it, kicked it, bruised it blue, his bond with Leaf remained? How does it exist when he doesn't want it. It was why he came to Mount Silver in the first place. To forget his past, forget Leaf.

Because everytime he thought of her, he always remembered the fateful day she confided in him about her secret crush on Blue. Everytime he remembered his fragile heart would shatter into a million crystal pieces. All their bond did was to bring him pain.

That is why he had to be away from Leaf. So he could pick up every lonely piece, then freeze them together with Mount Silver's harsh winter.

Then, alone and without purpose, he began to pursue power, partly as a reason to forget Leaf. He didn't plan on getting addicted to it. But when he did, he thought he destroyed his bonds to walk down the self-destructive road.

And now at the present, he didn't want their bond.

And he certainly didn't need it...

...Right?

* * *

Red snapped out of his daze, back into reality.

The first thing he was greeted by was the sight of his Nidoking shivering, shaking, desperately holding himself up, trying to keep from fainting.

But even Red knew when his Pokemon were at their limit.

Normally, he would push Nidoking past his breaking point, but for some unexplained reason, he was feeling very compassionate towards his Pokemon. Like with Pikachu, he empathized with Nidoking's fatigue and his struggle with the cold.

So he returned him to his warm Pokeball.

Then picked his next Pokemon. One that has been his companion since the very roots of his long journey.

One that he knew was strong enough to brave Mount Silver's cold.

One that he believed was strong enough to help him break his bond with Leaf.

Red stared at the Pokeball that sheltered his first Pokemon. Yes, he thought, he is capable.

Without a word Red threw the Pokeball towards the battlefield, watching as his starter Pokemon took to the black sky.

* * *

**(AN): Before anyone asks, no I was not hinting at anything by giving Red and Leaf a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen respectively. I just thought of how cool it would be if two dinosaur-like Pokemon battled against each other.**

**Anyways, I hope the chapter wasn't too confusing with Red's emotional turmoil.**

**And if you're asking why I spend a whole chapter describing a battle. Its because Red's defeating of Leaf's Pokemon is a symbol for the theme I decided to base my story on.**

**Oh and the summary, I'll change it as soon as I think of a good one to replace it with.**

**So... I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you guys.**

**Laters.**


	4. Chapter 4

**(AN): Let's cut the crap. No long author notes today before the story.**

**Disclaimer:I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

Leaf looked on as Red's Charizard spread his strong wings wide as he took into the black sky.

The sun-orange fire-type bared his fangs at the sight of Leaf, growling warningly the whole way. His blue eyes burned, matching the intensity of the yellow flame raging at the tip of his tail.

Leaf looked down at the Pokeball in her hand, gripping tightly. If Red was going to fight using him, his starter, his very first Pokemon, she would fight with hers.

"Go Venusaur!" she said.

Appearing on the ground Charizard was looking upon was a large, green, four-legged Pokemon. On its back was four green leaves, a red flower standing proudly in the middle of the four leaves. A seed clogged the mouth of the flower.

"Saur!" the female Pokemon roared. She shifted uncomfortably as her feet touched the snow, but otherwise did not show weakness.

Leaf knew this battle was going to be crucial. She had already showed Red what she believed in, expressed not only in her heartfelt words but also through the art of battle.

All she could do now is let him respond.

If he would respond at all.

The winds grew stronger once again. Snow rushed from the sky like flock of white Swannas migrating to a warm region.

The gale sang ominously, heralding the coming battle.

* * *

Charizard made the first move, breathing a stream of orange flames at Venusaur.

"Venusaur! Protect!" Leaf ordered.

She struggled against the blizzard, but Venusaur managed to conjure a transparent force-field that repelled an otherwise fatal attack.

Red and Leaf struggled to see the battle through the raging snowstorm, both using their arms to shield their faces from the weather's wrath. The difference was, one of them felt the winter's cold bite while the other did not.

Charizard, unfazed by the raging tempest flew towards Venusaur at blinding speeds, lethal blades of air surrounding his body.

"Venusaur! Leech Seed! Quick!" Leaf screamed over the howling wind.

Because Charizard was shrouded by the darkness of the sky, Venusaur struggled to pinpoint where he was coming from. That, plus the snow pelting her face did not make aiming her attack easy.

Then, she heard a disturbance in the air. Not the wind, but like something was travelling in its domain, displacing the air. She forced her eyes open. She knew which direction to fire in.

Venusaur turned around, firing the Leech Seed blindly into the blizzard.

...

...

...

Then out of the snowstorm, Charizard came crashing into the snowy ground. He was entrapped in vines sprouting from a seed implanted on his belly. With his movement restricted, the vines began slowly sapping his energy.

Red could feel Charizard restrained by the vines. He didn't even have to look. But despite that, he smiled at how Leaf really thought this was going to stop him.

Charizard stopped struggling against the vines' restrictions. Focusing his power, he coated his fangs in fire, biting down on the bonds that rendered him helpless.

It worked like a charm, Charizard's flame-encrusted teeth cutting through the vines like a hot knife through butter. Then in retaliation, fired a Flamethrower attack at his opponent.

"Venusaur! Get out of the way!" Leaf said desperately.

But Charizard was to close and the snow on the ground too thick. Within minutes, the grass-type was fully engulfed in Charizard's angry orange flames.

"Venusaur!" Leaf called worriedly.

Charizard stood proudly in the winter storm as Venusaur shivered visibly. The flower on her back had drooped slightly, its leaves looking like they were about to wilt due to being exposed to extreme conditions consecutively.

But miraculously, Venusaur stood determined against all odds to keep from fainting.

Red gritted his teeth. He was at wit's end with Leaf's Pokemon refusing to faint. He was just about ready to tear his ebony hair straight off his head.

Why? He asked himself. Why carry on through a hopeless situaton?

He glanced at Venusaur, her eyes drooping, then immediately widening in attention, fighting the urge to pass out from exhaustion.

Was it not logical to save your energy for another battle?

But he answered his own question.

Whatever their reason may be, it did not matter.

Because he would win. After all, he always did in the end.

For total victory was his goal. For the past three years, it has been his ultimate goal.

It was his only goal

Red smiled ruefully as his Charizard took of into the sky once again, flapping his strong wings, leaving a small cloud of anow in his wake

* * *

"Venusaur! Razor Leaf!"

Venusaur fired a barrage of sharp, spinning leaves at a now airborne Charizard. However, Charizard was too quick and too far away to be caught, looping in the air to avoid the blade-sharp leaves. Then, he coated his body in an inferno, charging recklessly at Venusaur.

"Venusaur! Protect!"

Predictable. Red smiled when he heard Leaf give out her orders. There was a reason he asked Charizard to use Flare Blitz instead of Flamethtower.

Charizard's blazing form collided with Venusaur's transparent shield, breaking it. With them in close proximity, the fire-type launched a Fire Blast attack straight at Venusaur's face, engulfing her in a raging inferno as she roared in pain.

As the fire around it faded away, Venusaur staggered back a few steps, struggling to keep her footing on the snow. The temptation to collapse was there again, seducing her like the waft of sweet-smelling flower. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.

She and her trainer must take every attack Red and Charizard throws at them. To show the strength of their bonds, through their own resilience, to the lonely isolated teen.

Red narrowed his eyes, scanning Venusaur for any sign of breaking, any cracks on its steel-clad armour. Any sign at all.

Then, he saw it, Venusaur's vehement shaking in response to Mount Silver's relentless cold. He heard it, Venusaur's shallow, uneven breathing.

She was breaking, and he knew it.

He directed his red eyes at Charizard who didn't seem to be reacting negatively to the cold, nor the least bit tired as he took to the skies once again.

"Graaaa!" Charizard roared, coating himself in fire as he flew towards Venusaur.

Leaf's eyes, despite the pelting blizzard were wide in attention. Her teeth were grinding against each other, trying to think of a way to stay in the battle.

"Venusaur! Don't give up! Use Sleep Powder!" she said quickly.

"Saur..." Venusaur responded weakly, trying to use what little energy she had left to incapacitate her opponent who was closing in on her position.

But she was too slow, Charizard ramming her before she could release the powder, forcing Venusaur's singed body onto its belly. Before she could get back up, Charizard quickly launched a Flamethrower attack.

"Venusaur!" Leaf cried as the flames consumed her Pokemon.

As the inferno faded from her body, Venusaur collapsed. She tried to stand again, trying to will her legs to power through the pain, but ultimately, her legs were unable to support her weight anymore as she collapsed on her belly again, for good this time.

Red gave had a satisfied look on his face as Venusaur stayed down. Not fainted, but unable to stand. Leaf's strongest Pokemon practically done for. With Venusaur out, his victory was all but assured. In contrast, his ace looked like he could go for many more rounds.

Charizard walked up to Venusaur's lying form, glaring down at the Pokemon, a close friend once upon a time. She and her trainer were his and Red's very first opponents. She was the first Pokemon he truly understood, both as a rival and as an ally.

But his loyalty belonged to Red. Everything else came second to helping his trainer, his brother.

So he stood in front of his former friend, awaiting Red's command.

* * *

For Red, victory was just a hair's length away. Not only over the battle, but also over who's belief stayed true.

For him, victory proved he could live alone with his Pokemon.

Victory meant truimph over his bond with Leaf, showing her it may not be as strong as she thoufht it was.

But most of all, victory meant he no longer needed, no longer wanted, Leaf as a friend. He could be strong without them, free from his past to walk towards the future he decided for himself. Prove he was strong enough to handle anything all by himself.

It was something he longed to prove for a long time.

And now was his chance.

Burn down his past, his childhood memories that haunted him so for the past three years.

So he could live a free, unburdened life atop Mount Silver, thriving in its deathly cold grasp.

The moment seemed to play out in slow motion. The snowstorm stopped. For a while, there was silence, as if the winds themeselves waited in suspense for Red's decisive move.

Red smiled crookedly.

The solitary life he had convinced himself was what he wanted was within his cold grasp.

All he had to do was give Charizard the order for attack.

* * *

**(AN): How will the story end? Is there still hope for Red to respond to Leaf's message? Or will he stay a lonely hermit forever? That's for me to know and you guys to find out in the next and final chapter.**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...Yeah. I had to do that. And this isn't even much of a cliffhanger. I'm pretty sure a few of you already know how this will end. All I'm here to do is put it on paper...err... screen.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it was a bit short compared to the last one. I hope to see you guys in the last installment of Atop Mount Silver.**

**Laters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**(AN): Ugh. This is the last time I'm turning a story that was planned to be a oneshot into a five chapter mini-novel. I just don't think this story was as good as it could have been. I'm satisfied, but not happy.**

**To answer to most of the reviews of the last chapter;**

**I didn't want the story to be too dark. Just a quick story about a devolpment of the character of Red with him leaving Mount Silver in search of new adventure and alternate ways to gain the power he wants. This time, with the thought he isn't as friendless as he believed he was.**

**But since you guys apparently didn't like that, I had no choice but to scrap the ending and go for something that I think would satisfy both of us. Don't get me wrong. I like you guys pointing out anything wrong with the story.**

**On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

He froze in his place.

It was like nervousness taking over when acting out a play. You practice for hour after hour, day after day. But when the day of the play comes, you freeze up on-stage in front of the audience.

But with Red, it wasn't his nerves that burdened him. No, he has issued orders for finishing attacks more times than he could count.

He didn't know what held him back. All he had to do was point at Venusaur, signalling Charizard to deliver the killing blow. It was like a gentle ghostly hand was holding his wrist back. And Red didn't know the reason.

Leaf had closed her eyes, tears ready to fall at the realization that Red was truly lost. But as the silence prolonged its stay, it dawned upon her that nothing had happened.

She opened her eyes slowly, met with the sight of her beloved Venusaur laying on the snow, on its belly. Met with the sight of Charizard glaring down on Venusaur, her fate resting precariously in his clawed hands.

And Red standing on the opposite side, head down, face veiled by his cap, hand balled into a fist, shaking.

His current state piqued her curiosity. Wasn't he bent on destroying her, her Pokemon, and their friendship? What happened?

"Red?" she called.

Nothing.

Her only answer was dead silence.

Charizard looked back at his trainer, questioning his actions. What ws he waiting for? Was this not what he wanted?

Venusaur turned her maroon eyes towards Red, curious at his actions. Then, her eyes brightened a little, her mouth twisting into a small smile at the thought thst there was still hope.

And she was not refering to the battle.

Even with all eyes on him, Red prolonged his comatose-like state.

* * *

Under his cap, Red's eyes were wide in agitation, sweat poured down his face despite the cold. Why couldn't he finish this battle?

Then he saw the answer.

It was literally in front of him this entire battle.

He realized Leaf wasn't battling to win. If she was, she would have been using Pokemon he was not familiar with for an element of surprise. Quite the contrary, she was using Pokemon he knew almost as well as his own.

He knew she was trying to bring him back. But he never realized how.

Her use of Pokemon he and his Pokemon knew well was done on purpose. She sent them to almost certain defeat to remind him of the good times. Remind him of how wonderful friends who stand by you despite how many times you wrong them.

And to remind him of how much he liked having friends.

No matter how vehemently he denied that fact.

Red collapsed onto his hands and knees, tired from the emotional war that went rsged on inside of him. He finally found the problem of his Pokemon's inability to dominate the battle. The weakness did not lie within them.

It lied within him. Even after all these years of loneliness, he still craved friendship. Though he had convinced himself that he did not need it, his desire came roaring back out as his battle with Leaf raged on.

Why? Why couldn't he be strong? He had spent three years trying to become strong!

So why wasn't he?

Was he wrong all this time?

And for the first time in three years, Red cried.

* * *

The sun finally peeked over the dark clouds, warmly looking down on the four sentient beings atop Mount Silver. With its rise came the departure of the darkness above and the snowstorm it brought.

Leaf looked on at Red's display of emotion. It brought a gentle smile to her fabce seeing a little bit of the old Red back. Yes, she may have pretty much lost the Pokemon, but inside, she felt like a winner seeing Red like this.

As she approached Red, his Charizard stepped in her way, intent on defending his trainer. He growled warningly, pretty much telling her to stay away.

"Saur." Venusaur called weakly to Charizard, trying to convince him to stay out of the humans' affairs.

"Graaaa!" Charizard lashed back angrily. He looked ready to attack, even without Red's orders.

Leaf would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid of the Pokemon. But she needed to talk to Red, and to do that, she had to convince Charizard she wouldn't hurt him.

"Charizard." she called calmly, directing his attention back to her. "I won't hurt him. I promise."

Charizard looked back and forth between Red, who was still on his knees, and Leaf, who was looking at him with pleading eyes. Then, he looked at Venusaur bathing under the sun's gentle glow, who nodded at him. Thus, Charizard reluctantly stepped out of the way, every muscle of his body still tense, ready to attack Leaf or Venusaur should Leaf do anything wrong.

"Thank you, Charizard." Leaf said. Charizard let out an annoyed huff in response, looking away.

Red still hadn't moved from his previous position. Warm tears still streamed from his eyes falling towards the snow. Yet, instead of freezing before reaching the ground, it wet the snow, melting it a little bit.

"Red?"

No! She shouldn't be here! Why was she still here?

Leaf crouched down trying to look him in the eye. But no matter how much she tried, he just kept looking away, afraid to fall further back into the distant past.

"Red, please look at me." she pleaded. But Red refused to even acknowledge her existence.

She sighed. This was as close as she was going to get.

"Red, I think I can guess what you're thinking about right now." she started. "I bet you're thinking about how weak you are for not finishing Venusaur off, not being strong enough to break our friendship.".

Red's eyes widened, but still refused to look at her. How did she know?

"You've always wanted to become strong Red, one way or another." she continued. "But I think somewhere along your path, you decided that friends were nothing but a burden, a speed bump in your road to power." she shook her head at the thought, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.".

Red had stopped crying, now just simply listening to Leaf, amazed at the truth her words held. She still knows him, even after all these years...

"I know because of the way you battled, how you brutally defeated my Pokemon without any regard for their safety. They were your friends, not just mine." she herself started crying, her tears mixing with Red's on ground, melting the snow together.

"I know because of how hostile you looked when you looked at me. It hurt seeing how much you hated me and not knowing why." Leaf continued, her face turning bright red as tears escaped from her eyes at a faster rate.

She wiped her eyes as she smiled at Red's despondent form.

"But most importantly, I know because I'm your friend. And with our friendship, understanding each other becomes second nature, even if our friendship isn't in the best of days right now." she finished as she laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling him flinch at the feeling of his first human contact in three years.

Red still did not respond. He remembered those times. The times before her confession. The times when he was surrounded with friends. Friends who understood and accepted him, no matter how strained their relationship looked from the outside.

But he was still unconvinced. At the end of the day, his friendship with Leaf had spawned his crush on her, which only resulted in him getting hurt. No, he didn't want to get hurt again.

Leaf sighed solemnly at Red's lack of reaction. "Look Red. You might hate me for some reason. But you have friends and family back in Pallet Town who want to see you. Please come home." she pleaded.

He finally reacted as she tried to hug him, promptly getting up and moving past her. He walked towards Charizard, rubbing his back in gratitude before returning him to his Pokeball. Then, he walked towards the cliff, head bowed, eyes closed.

No, he wasn't ready to come down. Mount Silver still had a lot of power to offer him and his team. He was going to try to milk it of the said power as much as he can.

Plus, this was the only life he's known for such a long time. He wasn't ready for another drastic change in lifestyle. So no, he wasn't ready to come down.

He didn't know if he ever will be.

Leaf nodded at Red's back.

"I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." she said.

She returned Venusaur, turned on her heels, and prepared to walk back the way she came. But before she did, she had one last thing to say.

"Just so you know, I support your decision Red." she stated with her back turned towards him. "I may not like it, it may hurt me just a little bit, but I'm your friend. It's my job to support you no matter what you do, even if I disagree with some of your decisions. Just do me a favour. You might not ever come down, but just please consider it?"

With that, she started to walk.

But something compelled her to look back at him one last time. She did not know what it was. It was like she heard the winds behind her call her name.

And when she did, Red didn't have his head down anymore.

His back was still turned, his head was turned slightly, just enough she saw one half of his face. The eye visible to her was looking at her...

And his mouth was twisted slightly, curved into a small smile.

A smile directed at her.

When he saw her looking back at him, he nodded at her, then turning his head so his face was was no longer visible to her.

She grinned widely at his actions. That was when she knew they were healing. It would take some time before they are able to become as close as they once were, but they were healing.

And that thought alone was enough for Leaf.

* * *

Red finally understood her.

Her last words about supporting his decision spoke volumes to him. He was willing to admit he was wrong about their friendship.

Just because she chose Blue over him did not warrant his hatred for her.

It did not justify his attempt to break their friendship.

No.

If she was willing to supporting him through his choice to stay atop Mount Silver despite her disagreement, then he owed her as much to support her in her choosing of Blue.

Red removed his cap, letting his black hair dance with the cool breeze. And with the cap out of the way, warm sunlight hit his face.

He mused at the warmth presented to him. He had forgotten what it felt like.

He decided it felt nice. It was a fresh feeling after feeling nothing but numbing cold for a long time.

But just because he has reconciled with her does not mean he has given up on his true goal. For now, he stayed, a lone figure standing atop Mount Silver's summit. A young man walking down a forever lengthening road to ultimate strength.

But he will return home. He knew his story would not end atop Mount Silver.

He will return to Pallet Town when he is satisfied with his power.

It might take weeks. It might take months. It might even take years.

But he would eventually answer Leaf's pleas to return home.

Not because he still felt like he owed her for his past overreaction

But because he was willing to listen to her now.

Because she was his friend.

**End**

* * *

**(AN): So I hope the ending wasn't too cheesy for you guys. I wanted an ending where he realises he does have friends. You guys wanted an ending where he stays alone on Mount Silver. So, I implemented both elements in the ending.**

**Sorry it might be a bit beginner-ish. But hey, I'll get better. I hope.**

**Now for some special thanks.**

**BattedConan316: Thanks for reviewing every chapter of this short story. Its much appreciated.**

**Dan: Same deal with BattedConan316. Thanks for reviewing every chapter thus far.**

**And to all other reviewers, favorites, and followers of this story. Thanks.**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**Okay I'm ending this. If you guys have any ideas for a new story, feel free to share. I was thinking of making a humourous story 'cause this one was quite serious in its subject. I'm probably gonna clean this story up a few times if I see any errors**

**Laters.**


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